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5 New Year’s Resolutions Every Parent Should Make

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New Year’s is the perfect time to set some goals or make some resolutions. It is the start of a new year and can be the start of something good within your family as well. Read on for five New Year’s resolutions that every parent should make.

1. Spend more time with your children. This is a no-brainer, but it is easier said than done. Set aside one night a week where you are together as a family. Choose a night that works with everyone’s schedules. Our family night is Monday.

2. Take a family vacation. Family vacations are great bonding times. I have fond memories of the family vacations I went on as a child. You don’t have to do something expensive. It could be as simple as going camping or renting a hotel room in a different city, playing in the hotel pool, and going to see a movie. Our family often does day activities but I realized that we’ve never taken our kids overnight anywhere, since Grandma’s house doesn’t count. I vowed that this year would be different. We are already planning a family vacation to Yellowstone.

3. Get mad at your kids less. This is something that I definitely want to work on. One thing I have recently tried to pay attention to is the times and things that upset me. I tend to get mad at my kids towards the end of the day as I am fixing dinner and they are all crowded in the kitchen whining and vying for my attention. Since I am aware that this is a prime “getting mad” time I have been able to better keep my emotions under control.

4. Do a family service project. Service is a great way to get the family working together and help someone else too. Set a goal to do a family service project, outline what you want to do and when you want to have it accomplished by. You might visit a rest home every month or serve food at a homeless shelter. You could set aside money every month that you donate for medical research or take a family trip to the grocery store and donate the food to your local food bank. Try starting a Sub for Santa fund and help your children earn money every month to put into the jar. Then in December use the money to buy gifts for a family in need.

5. Eat dinner together. I have written several blogs about the benefits of eating dinner together as a family. It is such a simple thing but it can have an incredible impact on how happy and connected a family is. Make a goal to eat dinner together at least five nights a week. That means that you turn off the television and all sit around the table together.

About Teresa McEntire

Teresa McEntire grew up in Utah the oldest of four children. She currently lives in Kuna, Idaho, near Boise. She and her husband Gene have been married for almost ten years. She has three children Tyler, age six, Alysta, four, and Kelsey, two. She is a stay-at-home mom who loves to scrapbook, read, and of course write. Spending time with her family, including extended family, is a priority. She is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and currently works with the young women.
Teresa has a degree in Elementary Education from Utah State University and taught 6th grade before her son was born. She also ran an own in-home daycare for three years. She currently writes educational materials as well as blogs for Families.com.
Although her formal education consisted of a variety of child development classes she has found that nothing teaches you better than the real thing. She is constantly learning as her children grow and enjoys sharing that knowledge with her readers.